It was an Experience…Workshop FUN!

I recently had the opportunity to present a Wellness Workshop with a fantastic partner; Allison.

Allison and I both hopped on the wellness train in our 40’s and have not looked back. We met many years ago when we lived in the same neighbourhood and our daughters were friends.

Fast forward 10+ years and we bumped into each other; where else but in the gym! We quickly connected as a result of our passion for fitness and wellness.

Allison is a Special Education Consultant and we recently decided to partner up to pitch a Wellness Workshop for Teachers based on our journeys, experience and the fact that we are both Certified Personal Trainers.

We were invited to present 2 sessions in Pembroke, Ontario in March to 2 groups of about 20 Teachers each. We accepted knowing that it was a little far but an excellent opportunity.

We worked very hard and spent many hours preparing to provide a great experience for our audience.
The day before our event we got on the road at 3:00PM for a 6 hour drive to Pembroke. We joked that it was a long way to go but we knew we could talk away the time no problem.

We started in great, calm weather that quickly turned to rain, freezing rain and snow. After
about 4 hours we had to leave the familiarity of the 401 and venture off into unknown territory. One last Tim Horton’s pit stop and restroom opportunities became non-existent. The more we drove, the worse the weather got. We drove into blinding snow and darkness with hilly terrain and we could vaguely see rock walls beside the road. I kept my death grip on the steering wheel and knew we could not turn around on this two lane highway, nor could we pull over. We saw a couple of plow trucks and about 5 cars in 4 hours. Oh how I longed for the comfort and familiarity of the 401!

I was concerned while Allison was good natured and seemed totally calm which made it easier for me to stay focused with my white knuckles shining on the steering wheel. Every once in a while I would have to bring my nose back from the front windshield as I felt my body wanting to gravitate forward like somehow I would see better…??

The GPS kept pushing our ETA out further as we drove. At 11:15PM we arrived at our destination; over 8 hours from when we had left home. We were thankful to be safe and looked
forward to a short night’s sleep!

It became all worthwhile when we presented to two terrific audiences the next day. With great reviews we were feeling completely rejuvenated and got back on the road to return home.

We took the same route back since everyone advised us that really was the best way to go?! Much to our surprise, the daylight revealed we were in beautiful cottage country with massive spruce trees covered in snow all along the sides of the roads along with huge rock walls and spots where the road seemed to drop off into deep crevices at the sides. While it was a gorgeous site, I was grateful for our lack of awareness the night before. I joked that I thought we were going to be the subjects of a made for TV movie!

Was it all worth it? You bet it was. We had such great fun and who knows; maybe, just maybe…we will have CHANGED A LIFE!!

We would love to present our Wellness Workshop entitled “Energize Me…Strategies for Eating,Living Well and Looking Great” to your group or business.